


Big secret, small package

by hopelessly_me



Series: HPC 2020 [1]
Category: Marvel
Genre: Alternate Universe, Confused Clint, Established Relationship, Helpful Clint, M/M, Stressed Bucky, bucky is keeping a secret, little tiny bundle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:34:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22505650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopelessly_me/pseuds/hopelessly_me
Summary: For three months, Bucky has been dodging his relationship with Clint, and Clint is confused as to why. When he finally goes to confront him about it, he is taken by surprise.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton
Series: HPC 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619281
Comments: 8
Kudos: 131
Collections: MHEA Harlequin Hoopla Prompt Challenge 2020





	Big secret, small package

“We should go out tonight,” Clint commented as he packed up his things. “Maybe go to the bar, watch the football game- make it a fun Friday night.”

Clint looked over and saw how tense Bucky was, staring down at his laptop bag. For the last three months he had been off, which was putting it nicely. He was gone for two months on FMLA, and barely answered his phone when Clint called, normally following up nervously with some excuse as to why he was hope sick. And if anyone felt like they should be the one taking care of Bucky, it was Clint- they had only been dating for a little over a year, which was admittedly short in comparison to his friendship with Steve, but it was still  _ something _ .

They spent a lot less time together than normal, which was definitely taking a toll on their relationship. Whenever he could convince Bucky to go out, he was always tired, always a little frantic. Natasha told Clint that he was being silly when Clint mentioned how he was feeling, how he hoped there was nothing going on with someone else; he wanted to trust Natasha on that, hell, he wanted to trust Bucky that he would never, but the past three months were just… tense for seemingly no reason. 

“I’m, uh, I’m busy tonight,” Bucky said as he finally got up to pack to his things. “Maybe Tuesday night?”

“Tuesday night? Can’t really justify drinking to stupidity on a work night,” Clint pointed out, trying to ease the tension between the two of them. “You could always come over and stay the night. Or maybe I can-“

“I’m sorry, I can’t.”

Clint felt like he was losing the battle and he couldn’t figure out why this was happening. The drop off was so sudden he felt blindsided. He couldn’t think of anything he had done to create hostility, if that was even the word he wanted to use. All he knew was his once vibrant relationship was being swept away from under his feet painstakingly slow and he didn’t know how to fix it.

“Alright,” Clint answered softly. “Well. I guess I’m going to head home and just- maybe I’ll see if some of the guys want to hang out or something.”

“Alright.” Bucky slung his bag over his shoulders and walked. “See you Monday.” He hurriedly kissed Clint’s cheek before he rushed past him.

Clint waited, counting to one hundred before he did something he would regret. What he wanted to do was grab onto Bucky and shake him until he admitted what the hold up was, demand some sort of answers. What he chose to do was give his boyfriend the space he was clearly craving. Bucky wasn’t stupid- if something was wrong he would tell Clint.  _ He would tell me… right? _

Clint left the building and headed for the subway. He supposed he could call Steve or Sam, maybe Tony. But even then, Steve had been avoiding Clint like he had contracted the plague. Maybe Clint  _ did _ do something wrong, and Bucky had told Steve and Steve was taking it out on Clint. And if Steve and Bucky weren’t talking to Clint, there was no way in hell Sam would.  _ Great, if this is a break up then I’m the one who is going to lose all the friends. Only makes sense. _

Clint stopped on the platform as soon as he got off at his station and took a deep breath before he turned and walked for the other platform. He couldn’t take it anymore. He was going to have to confront Bucky if he wanted any peace of mind. It might create a fight, but it had to be better than this horrible feeling in his gut. But spending another night laying in bed wondering where everything had gone wrong wasn’t an option. Clint had been down this road once before, he wasn’t going to go down it again for however long Bucky was going to take.

The ride to Bucky’s apartment was maddening, Clint trying to figure out the right words to say the moment he showed up unannounced. He stood outside the apartment building and stared up, suddenly getting cold feet. Maybe this wasn’t the right approach- maybe he should be patient, give Bucky more time. But he couldn’t continue to wait for a man who clearly couldn’t decide if he wanted in or out of this relationship. So Clint used his key to enter the building and take the elevator up.

He stopped outside of Bucky’s door and before he could knock he heard the strangest noise. It was a baby’s cry. Clint stared at the door, completely perplexed. None of their friends had a child, at least not any that Clint could remember. Steve and Sam has talked about adopting once, but with both of them in the military still, it wasn’t a viable option for them at the moment.

The door opened and Clint was staring at Steve now. Steve looked at Clint in shock before he looked more nervous. Clint’s eyes slid past Steve and caught sight of Bucky pacing the floor, holding a baby and trying to calm it down. Clint looked back at Steve, his mouth opening. Steve forced Clint to take a step back and closed the door, blocking any more views of what was happening.

“What are you doing here?” Steve asked.

“What do you mean, what am I doing here? I’m visiting my boyfriend.”

“Does he know you are coming?”

“I’m sorry, secretary Steve, was I supposed to set an appointment?” Clint asked. “No, he doesn’t know. But I figured I’d-“

“Now isn’t a good time.” Steve was trying to play it cool- he normally came across as calm and collected. But even Clint could see the underlying anxiety. “Maybe-“

“No, screw this, I want to see my boyfriend,” Clint insisted angrily. “Bucky! Open up!” he shouted.

“Clint! You are making a scene,” Steve told him gently.

“I don’t  _ care _ . What I care about it-“

Bucky opened the door, his eyes wide. “Clint? I thought I said-“  _ God, he has been crying. _

“You said you wouldn’t go out with me, and you said you wouldn’t stay the night,” Clint said, cutting him off. “You didn’t say I couldn’t come over.”

“I kind of thought that was implied.”

“What is going on with you?” Clint asked, shoving Steve out of the way to get closer. “You have been so dodgy for three months now. What gives? And whose baby is that?”

Bucky looked down and Clint instantly wanted to reach out and pull him into a hug. He looked defeated, upset and somehow scared. His fingers twitched and Clint took another step forward. “If I did something wrong, I can try to fix it,” Clint offered. “Or if there is-“

When there was another loud, demanding cry for help inside, Bucky broke down in tears. “I can’t get her to stop crying.”

Clint stared at his boyfriend, his heart feeling like it was shattering into a million little pieces watching Bucky break down. Clint grabbed onto Bucky’s shoulders and moved him carefully to the side before he all but rushed into the apartment. “It’s going to be okay, let me try,” he said as calmly as he could

Clint stopped and stared in utter awe and confusion at the change in Bucky’s apartment. It had once been so neat and tidy, everything obnoxiously having a place. Now there were clothes everywhere, baby and adult, and blankets galore. And  _ diapers. _ It was in chaos, and utter mess and Clint wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Okay- lots of pink so I’m going with a girl,” Clint said carefully. He looked down at the tiny baby wailing in the makeshift crib and reached down. “It’s alright, Sweetpea. What did the grouchy face do to you, huh?” Clint asked, cooing at the little girl. He checked her diaper first. “When did you feed her last?” He asked, carefully rocking her as he walked.

“She just got done ten minutes ago and-“

“Does the little princess need burped then?” Clint asked, shifting the little bundle around before he patted her back rhythmically. “Let’s see if maybe you are just a gassy little girl, huh?”

“She burped already,” Bucky said, still sounding distraught.

Clint turned to look at a stunned Bucky and Steve. “Well don’t just stand there. You sit before you pass out,” he instructed Bucky. “Steve, why don’t you make yourself useful and get the clothes in baskets so laundry can be done, okay?”

Steve was the first to comply with the orders, starting to pick up the mess in the front room. Bucky slowly sank onto his couch, looking worse for wear. It took a few minutes before the little girl let out the gas and slowly started to calm down.

“There we go, you sweet little thing, we are already feeling better,” Clint said cheerfully. He shifted her back down and looked at her. “Well hi there, cutie! Look at those beautiful blue eyes!” He smiled more widely when she made a happy baby noise. “Yes! You are just the cutest, aren’t you? You know it too, don’cha?”

“Clint.”

“Hm?” Clint sat down and settled the little girl onto his thighs and knees, swaying them gently.

“I’m so sorry,” Bucky said, looking like he was about to start crying at any minute.

“Hey, no, come on,” Clint said, reaching over and taking his hand. “Start from the beginning? We can figure this out.”

“She never told me she was pregnant,” Bucky admitted. “I found out when she called from the hospital. She was going to put her up for adoption and I… I just couldn’t.”

Clint forgot about Bucky’s previous relationship with who Clint typically only referred to as the she devil. Somehow it didn’t surprise him that she could pull a stunt like this, throw Bucky off kilter again. Clint rubbed his hand with his thumb lightly.

“And you are sure she is yours, just for starters,” Clint asked.

“We had the test done, yes,” Bucky answered.

“Okay. And what is her name?”

“Beth,” Bucky answered, looking over at Clint and the little girl. “Bethany Rose Barnes.”

“Beth. I like it,” Clint commented. “Babe, why didn’t you tell me?”

“You said you didn’t want kids and my plate has been full and-“

“I said I didn’t want kids right now.”

“And here I am,” Bucky said with a sad laugh.

“Okay but… that doesn’t mean I don’t want  _ you,” _ Clint stressed. “You should have told me. I could have been helping this whole time. Shit, Barnes, I thought I had screwed us up and you were afraid to break up with me or something.”

“I know,” Bucky groaned, rubbing his face. “It was just a lot all at once. And I thought maybe I could get this all under my belt and then figure out a way to tell you. But I’m constantly tired and there is just so much to do all the time.”

Clint scooter closer carefully and wrapped an arm around Bucky. He checked to make sure Beth was still safely secure in her spot, a finger tracing the outline of the blanket she was sloppily swaddled in. “Alright. So what do you need from me? Besides showing you how to properly swaddle a baby.”

“Probably help moving,” Bucky admitted. “I can’t afford this place and her.”

Bucky loved his apartment, took pride in it. Just like Clint, this was the first place he owned and could truly call his own. Clint hated the idea of him giving up the place he called home and had to figure out how to fix the problem. If nothing else, Clint was a very good problem solver, even if sometimes his ideas were a little flawed.

“Okay- here is a thought,” Clint said slowly. “What if I moved in? Combine our incomes a bit. I was looking to move anyway.”

“It’s to soon.”

“And we agreed it was too soon for kids and the universe kinda had different plans,” Clint replied gently. “If it’s a solid no then alright. But we could help each other out here, make things easier. And I have a ton of experience with babies.”

Clint had the baby talk straight from the get-go with Bucky. Growing up in one foster home to another, Clint was used to having to take care of other kids. He just wanted a break from that before he thought about starting his own family. And really, they hadn’t been dating that long yet to even have those thoughts. 

Bucky sighed and leaned over, putting his weight against Clint. “You’re just saying it to be nice. You’ll get tired of this in no time. And this isn’t your-”

“Bucky, stop,” Clint said calmly, turning so he could kiss Bucky’s temple. “I love you. And this is huge but it’s nothing we can’t work on. So give it a thought or two. And in a few days, come back with an answer.”

Bucky nodded a little and closed his eyes. Clint resisted the urge to try to wipe the tired from his face. “You aren’t mad at me?”

Clint closed his eyes and turned his face into Bucky’s hair. “You’re worth it,” he whispered.


End file.
